Road pipe size ?

bck · May 01, 2009, 08:54:07 PM

My BiL got a piece of big plastic pipe for the driveway today, I havnt seen it but they say you can walk through it so I am guessing it is 4 or 5 ft dia. We have a place now thats currently 3 pieces of 24" concrete pipe , when it rains hard its not enough pipe.

In the next year or two I am hoping to start buying my wood by the tractor trailer load.

Would big plastic pipe be able to take that kind of weight ? anybody know how that pipe is rated ?

jbeat · May 01, 2009, 09:29:03 PM

bck, Go to the Advanced Drainage Systems web-site and look at their specs for your pipe. I used 36'' corrugated with about 10 inches of gravel cover under a driveway. No problems with heavy loads-semi traffic and garbage packers (super heavy).

Banjo picker · May 02, 2009, 07:32:12 PM

Like Jbeat aludited to it according to how much fill ( dirt gravel or what ever ) you have over the pipe. Tim

Radar67 · May 02, 2009, 07:51:57 PM

The general rule of thumb is to cover the pipe with the radius measurement of fill. ie 4 foot pipe needs 2 foot of fill over the top of the pipe.

Chuck White · May 03, 2009, 06:59:23 AM

Most highway departments have quit using the galvanized culvert pipes and have gone to the corrugated plastic.
If it's installed as Radar67 indicated, you should never have a problem with it.

bck · May 04, 2009, 01:06:46 AM

Thanks guys, I just heard plastic pipe and wasnt to sure.
I saw the pipe today , its 60" and was a lot heavier than I had pictured in my mind. Oh well :

ErikC · May 04, 2009, 10:55:00 AM

I put in a lot of culverts, and the plastic (ADS), is better than metal now. It lasts longer, due to the inside being smooth, gravel won't wear it in high water like it does corrugated. And is very strong when bedded and backfilled properly. Way easier to handle as well. they use it on logging roads all the time, and places it takes a real beating. You will be fine if it's properly installed, with a couple feet of compacted fill on top of it.

Banjo picker · May 04, 2009, 08:23:34 PM

Only problem with them is they will burn.

The county put in a small one for my mom to use--she was burning pine straw in the area and burned up the culvert, I guess it must have been full of pine needles. ;D I wasn't there , but I did see the results. Tim

ErikC · May 04, 2009, 10:29:45 PM

Tim, you're right, they will burn. I have seen a bunch of them burn out in forest fires. They don't need to be full of needles or anything, if fire gets on an end the pipe turns into a chimney and burns itself up. Nothing left but a hole under the road when it's over. They can be a real booby trap for those who drive in and aren't careful.